Clutch for harvester-reels.



M. 'zmsm.

CLUTCH FOR HARVESTER RHELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27,1012.

Patented Feb.25,1913.

2 SHEETS-11331 1.

I Sluncnlki W011i)! 2013/ 1' M. ZINSLIf CLUTGH FOR HARVBSTER RBELS. APPLICATION PILBDMAR.27.1912,

1,U5%,%@00 Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEBTS-8HBET 2.

MARTIN ZINSLI, OF SENT INEL BUTTE, NORTH DAKOTA.

CLUTCH FOR HARVESTER-REELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Application filed March 27, 1912. Serial No. 688,478.

ing broken or injured in the event thatit should be lowered to such an extent as to come in contact with the ground or with an object encountered during the operation of the harvester, the object of my invention being to provide an improved clutch mechanism foroperating a harvester reel and which enables the reel to be lowered, without danger of breaking, sutliciently to cause the reel to operate successively on short crops of tlax or grain, the invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a selfbinding harvester provided with a reel and my improved mechanism .for driving the reel and preventing the reel from breaking in the event that it should encounter an obstruction. Fig. 2 i a detail elevation, partly in section, of the clutch members of my rccl driving or operating mechanism on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sec. tional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line ao of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a detail perspective view of one of the locking-plates. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of one of the friction shoes.

For the purposes of this specification, 1 show a reel 1 in Fig. 1, which reel is of the usual and may be of any suitable construction and is mounted on a revoluble shaft 2 which has its hearing as at 3 in a lever 17 which permits the reel to be raised and lowered so that it may be adjusted with respect to the cutting mechanism of the harvester as may be required for operating in flax, grain or other like crops of any height.

In accordance with my invention, I provide the reel shaft with a driving sprocket Wheel 4 which is driven by the other endless sprocketchain 5 and is mounted loosely on the reel shaft so that the said sprocket wheel may turn independently of the reel shaft. In connection with the driving sprocket wheel, I, provide a clutch member 6 which is fixed to the reel shaft for rotation therewith and is provided with an annular flange 7 on the side next the sprocket wheeland which extends toward the sprocket wheel. One side of the hub'8 of the sprocket wheel projects laterally therefrom and bears against the inner side of the clutch member 6 and the sprocket wheel is also" provided with spoke members 9 each of which has a horizontally arranged arm 10 which projects toward the clutch member (5 and is al'- ranged concentrically with respect to and is spaced from the annular flange 7 of said clutch member. Friction shoes 11 which are segmental in form are arranged on the inner side of the flange 7 of the clutch member (5 and bear against said flange. Each friction shoe has a radially arranged screw threaded arm 12 which is free to move radially in hlltllI'OfltlCtl openings with which the hub member 8 and the arms 10 of the sprocket wheel 4 are provided. On each threaded arm 12 is an adjusting nut 13 which engages therewith and bears on-the periphery of the. hub member 8 of the sprocket wheel 4 and by appropriately ad justing these nuts the friction shoes 11 may be caused to bear frictionally against the flange 7 of the clutch member (3 with any desired degree of force. The radially adjustable friction shoes 11 serve to lock the clutch member (3 to the driving sprocket and wheel 4 so as to cause the said clutch memher and, hence, also the shaft and reel to revolve with and be driven by the said wheel 4 under ordinary conditions as when the reel is operating in flax or other grain.

In the event, however, that the reel should be adjusted so low, as when operating in short flax, as to be in danger of occasionally striking the ground, no harm would result and the reel would not become broken or otherwise injured, because should the reel thus strike and its rotation be momentarily arrested, the driving sprocket wheel l can continue to revolvc as before, the friction shoes carried by the said sprocketwheel and the annular friction flange of the clutch member (3 causing the sprocket wheel to slip or in other words, move to some extent independently of the clutch member 6 and thereby preventing the reel from being subjected 'tohreaking or injuring stress.

a forked arm 16 Hence, by the provision of my improved reel driv mg mechanism, the reel is adapted to be adjusted safely to a tower extent than heretofore and this a matter of considerable moment specially when the machine is be; ing" oi eratet t in short flux as by thus lowering the reel several inches more of the fiax straw can he saved and harvested than would be possible if the reel could not he thus adjusted without danger of its becoming broken.

To prevent the adjusting nuts 13 from working loose on the threaded arms of the friction shoes, 1 provide locking plates Lt each of which has flanges 15 to engage opposite sides of one of the nuts and also as to engage astride one 'of the spoke members of the driving sprocket wheel.

While I have herein shown and described a. preferred en'ibodiment of my invention, 1 would have it understood that changes may he made in the form, construction and no portion of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of theappended claims.

t. claiinz 1. A. revolnhle element having a shaft and a rlutrh member fixed to and revolnhle with the shaft and having an annular friction disk extending; to one side thereof. in combination with a revo-lnhle driving element mounted on the shaft for rotation thereon inde 'wndently thereof; and further provided with a hub and with laterall extending arms, friction ahoes arranged on the a clutch member fixed to and revoluble with the shaft and having an annular friction disk extending to one side thereof in combination with a ,revoluhle driving element mounted on the shaft for rotation-thereon,

independently thereof and further provided with a hub and with laterally extending arms, friction shoesarranged on the inner side of the friction flange of the clutch memherhaving radially threaded arms guided by the hub member and laterally extending arms of the driving element and adjusting nuts on the said threaded arms of the friction shoes and bearing against the hub of said revoluhle driving element, and locking means for the said nuts to prevent casual turning thereof, said locking means comprising plates having flanges to engage opposite sides of the nuts and also provided with fork arms to engage the hub memhers of said driving elements.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

in presence of two witnesses.

MrUVrlIii ZlNSLl.

Witnesses M. V. llonxisd, O. l). lttzs'rao. 

